Improvement in machines for purifying middlings



2 Sheets-Shet 1.

J. H. REDPIELD. Machine for Purifying Middlings.

Patented A fgf priI 15, I879.

I I I l I I I l Zfltneme: I

IQfieocLow ra a/mg i N. PEIERS, PHDTO-LITHOGRAPNER. WASHINGTON. o C.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. H. REDFIELD. Machine for Purifying Middlings.

No. 214,314. Patented April 15,1879. 1294.

UNITED STATES PATENT (Drron.

JAMES H. REDFIELD, OF SALEM, INDIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR PURIFYING MIDDLINGS.

spec fication forming part of Letters Patent No. 214,314, dated April13, 1879 application filed January 18, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES H. REDFIELD, of Salem, Washington county,State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Machine for PurifyingMiddlings; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,and exact description of the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings. forming a part of this specification, in which-Figure 1 is a top view of the machine, with a portion of the casing andframing broken away in order to show the sieve. Fig. 2 is a longitudinalsection of the machine; and Fig. 3 is a detail view of the foot sectionof pipe,- by which the pipe through which the middlin gs are elevated isconnected with the bolting machines or reels. Fig. 4 is a diagramillustrating the operation of my invention when the middlings areelevated thereby from the bolting-room to the middlings-purifier room.

The main object of my invention is to effect the elevation of themiddlings from the bolting room or compartment of a flooring-mill to theroom or compartment where the middlin gs are purlfied by means of thesuction of a fan, which feeds the middlings to the purifier, instead ofby expensive elevators of ordinary kinds, and to utilize the suction ofthe fan of a middlings-purifier for effecting this result simultaneouslywith the use of said suction of the fan for carrying the middlingsthrough the purifying-machine for the purpose of purifying them.

Another object of my invention is to utilize the suction of a fan forboth supplying the middlings to the purifying-machine and carrying themthrough said machine, and also for inducing a constant current of air toflow into the purifier below the separating-sieve, for the purpose ofkeeping the lighter and larger par- .ticles of the middlings insuspension above the sieve until they finally become deposited into areceptacle provided for them, thus keeping the sieve open for thepassage throught it of the finer and white particles of the middlings ontheir way to the receptacle provided for them.

'Another object of my invention is to effect a uniform distribution ofthe middlings upon the separating-sieve by a transverse chuteboardsuspended above the sieve and made pendent from the top portion of thepurifyingmachine, and operating in combination with a suction-fan, whichforcibly draws the middlings into the machine against saiddistributing-board.

Another object of my invention is to provide a middlings-purifier ofvery simple construction by certain combinations and arrangements ofparts, as will be hereinafter described and specifically claimed.

A A in the accompanying drawings represent the frame and easing of themiddlingspurifier; B, the suction-fan placed on top at one end of theframe and casin g, and with is case B in communication with the chamberformed by the framing and casin g A A The chamber formed by the framingand easing A A is made as nearly air-tight as possible at all points,except when provision is specially made for the entrance and escape ofair and of the middlings. O is the fan-shaft, provided with aneccentric, D, for vibrating the sieve E. To the front end and to bothsides of the sieve at the top a cloth or other flexible diaphragm, 0 istacked, and the outer side edges and end of this diaphragm are tacked tothe sides and front end of the casing and frame A A.

The amount of flexible diaphragm provided between the casing and framingA A and the sieve-frame is greater than is required to flll the spacebetween the sieve-frame and framing and casing A A and this is done inorder that the sieve may be vibrated without tearing the flexiblediaphragm away from the fastenings, and at the same time the passage ofmiddlings down bet-ween the edges and front end of the sieve and thecasing A, as well as the passage of air through the spaces covered bythe diaphragm, is prevented. The sieveframe is in form of an oblong boxbelow the bolting-cloth, and the bottom portion, a, of this box is ofmetal and inclined downward from the receiving end of the machine; andat the end of the metal bottom plate, a, a transverse partition, b, isprovided, and forward of and also beyond this partitiondischarge-openings c d are formed in the bottom of the sieve-frame, andunder these openings are dischargingspouts A A with valves m m, arrangedas shown.

The sieve is suspended loosely in the framing and easing A A by means offlat pendent springs ff, attached to it and to the front and rear endsof the casing A, and its back movement is aided by these springs andanother spring, f, which produces a counteracting effect upon the sievewhen it is being moved by the eccentric, and when the eccentric ismoving out of its way it causes the sieve to move in a reverse directionfrom that in which it is moved by the eccentric.

The sieve is provided with an abutment, g, which passes through thedischarging end of the machine, and comes in contact with the eccentricD. From the inner side of the top of the casing A, near the receivingend of the machine, a transverse distrilmting-board, F, is placed so asto incline backward and downward. This board has two side guards, h,which prevent the middlings from flying 01f laterally after they strikethe board. The lower end of this chute-board is situated a shortdistance above the bolting-cloth of the sieve E, in order that themiddlings may pass in a thin sheet beneath it over the sieve. At thereceiving end of the machine the inlets G and H are provided, the inletII being for the entrance of middlings into the machine, and locatedabove the sieve E, and the inlet G being for the entrance of air beneaththe boltingcloth of the sieve, and located between said cloth and thebottom plate of the sieve.

In the inlet II a long tube, I, which is open at its lower end andadapted for being connected with a bolting-reel, is inserted, and overthe inlet G a regulating slide or valve, G, is placed, so as to beraised and lowered in guides i i of the case A, as shown.

The long tube or pipe I maybe passed down through the flooring ot' amiddlings-purifying chamber to the bolt or bolting-machines ot' abolting-chamber of a mill, and connected with the discharging-spout ofthe bolting-machine by means ofa branch pipe, I, which is above the endof the pipe I. The pipe I is left open at its lower end, in order thatair may flow into it and pass along with the middlings into thepurifying-machine. The valve or slide G serves for regulating the supplyof air to the fan from beneath the bolting-cloth ot' the sieve.

Operation: The middlings puritying machine being constructed as nearlyair-tight as possible, except as hereinbefore specified, its tube I Iconnected to operating bolting reel or reels situated below it, and thevalve G opened, the fan-shaft is set in motion by a belt passed aroundits pulley. The suction of the fan causes a partial vacuum in themachine, and the air, rushing in through the tube, I, conveys thennddlings up the tube and into the machine above the sieve E. At thesame instant a volume of air is drawn in to the middlings purifyingmachine through the inlet G beneath the sieve-cloth. As soon as themiddlings enter the purifying-machine they strike the distributingchuteboard F, and are spread into a sheet and deflected downward uponthe sieve, and, by the suction of the fan, drawn under the chute-boardand over the surface of the sieve-cloth, and in their passage over thesieve-cloth they are subjected to the action of the air which is drawnby the fan up through the sieve-cloth, and thus the heavier and whiteparticles of the middlings are separated from the larger and lighterparticles, and the heavier and white particles pass down through thesieve into the receptacle A while the other particles pass over the endof the sieve into the receptacle A, from which receptacles they aredischarged through the passages covered by the valves m m.

It is believed that it is new to elevate and feed middlings to thepurifier by means of a suction-fan, for, as far as it is known to me, ithas invariably been the practice to set the purifier in mills above thepoint where the middlings run from the bolts, and under such mode ofoperation expensive elevators for receiving and carrying up themiddlings to the purifier have been employed. My invention avoids thisexpense to a very great extent, for, under my mode of operation, itrequires only a tin pipe about three incles in diameter, at a cost ofabout eight cents per foot, to be extended down from the purifier farenough to be connected with the bolts, as illustrated by the diagramdrawing, Fig. 4.

hat I claim is- 1. A middlings-purifier provided with a suction-fan, anda tube for conducting middlings into the purifying-chamber, whereby themiddlings are elevated to the purifier by the suction of the fan,substantially as set forth.

2. A middliugs-purifier provided with a suction-fan, amiddlings-conducting tube, and a passage for supplying air beneath andup through the sieve, whereby the middlings are elevated to thepurifier, and are separated while moving above the surface of the sieveby air admitted up through the sieve, one fan causing the suction forboth elevating and purifying the middlings, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the sieve E, the distributing-board F, thesuction-fan B, the tube I, and passages G II, substantially as and forthe purpose described.

4. The combination of the suction-fan B, sieve E, distributing-board F,conducting-tube I, airpassages G H, and valved receptacles A A,substantially as and for the purpose described.

JAMES H. REDFIELD.

In presence of- THAI). IIrsToN, OLIVER STANLEY.

